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google@IPG in our New York office

New York, 16 July 2012

By: Ridah Mannan, New York assistant media planner

Draftfcb New Yorkers had the insightful opportunity on July 12 to glimpse what’s on the horizon on the digital frontier. OurGoogle@IPG event, held at Draftfcb and Universal McCann offices, opened with a keynote address from Torrence Boone, managing director of agency business development at Google. He highlighted the importance of marrying creativity and technology to create “storytelling on steroids.” Attendees were treated to a sneak peak of Project Re:Brief, a collaboration between Google and retired ad execs who worked on some of the most iconic campaigns for brands including Avis, Coca-Cola, Alka-Seltzer and Volvo in the 1960’s and 1970’s.Break-out sessions followed in categories including healthcare, automotive, retail and finance. Lessons in search and social were prevalent.Google products were on display throughout the offices on kiosks that showcased offerings including Google+, YouTube, Google Trends, Rich Media and more. The hands-on experience brought the capabilities of each product to life. Of course, everyone loved the free candy station set up near the kiosks.During the last meeting of the day, Google screened theProject Re:Brief documentary, which detailed the inspiration, process, and results of reimagining old TV and print ad campaigns from the 60’s and 70’s into interactive banner advertising. Harvey Gabor, the art director of the Coca-Cola "Hilltop" campaign, summed it up perfectly when he said, “Google took the best of the old and the best of the new to reimagine these stories in the context of technology today.” Google’s modernization and forward thinking allowed for an extension of these campaigns, proving their timelessness through its resonation with those who had seen these ads on TV for the first time 30 years ago, as well as with younger consumers by incorporating social media and personalization across all of the campaigns.Google once again allowed us to think outside of the box by sharing and showcasing its innovative technology and fresh ideas. We are grateful Google is valued media partner at our agencies.